Recently, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate released for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in what is essentially an enhanced port of the original title, with all of the game’s post-release content. Previous Mortal Kombat games got this same treatment, with 2011’s Mortal Kombat getting the Komplete Edition the following year, as well as Mortal Kombat X getting Mortal Kombat XL later on. The difference here is that Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is a release that brings the series onto new hardware, along with brand new exclusive content. Other fighting games, like Tekken 7 and Soulcalibur 6, could learn from Warner Bros.’ fighter and do something similar for next-gen consoles.
The Tekken and Soulcalibur franchises have been around for almost as long as the Mortal Kombat games, with all three of them starting in the 1990s. This past generation, all three franchises began selling post-release content in the form of new characters, costumes, skins, and more as part of downloadable content. Unlike other fighting game franchises, Bandai Namco has never released an “Ultimate” edition of either of its IPs, with Tekken and Soulcalibur only ever receiving one single edition of its respective entries. But it could be a good idea for the company to release upgraded versions of Soulcalibur 6 and Tekken 7 for PS5 and Xbox Series X, for multiple reasons.
Now is honestly the perfect timing for both Soulcalibur 6 and Tekken 7 to get “Ultimate” editions, for several reasons. For one, the PS5 and Xbox Series X are brand new consoles with very few games available exclusively for them, so launching upgraded versions of these games would put them back into the spotlight once again and give players a real reason to pick them up. This could re-popularize both titles once again, and in turn help sell more copies. Additionally, an Ultimate version of these games would also allow the developers to make any tweaks, upgrades, or any desired changes, and take advantage of the next-gen hardware by upgrading both games’ visuals and add much faster loading times.
Perhaps the biggest reason for these titles to come to next-gen hardware is that all of the downloadable content for each game could finally be available on disc, for those wishing to have the “full experience” without needing to purchase anything off of the PSN or Microsoft Store. With two Season Passes for Soulcalibur 6, eight new characters have made their way onto the sword-fighting game, along with tons of costume pieces and new stages. Tekken 7, on the other hand, has gotten a whopping four Season Passes overall since its release in 2017, with 14 new fighters available post-launch plus new stages, costumes, and additional game modes.
Purchasing all four Tekken 7 season passes would cost $95, meaning that one would need to spend $155 in order to experience all of the content that Tekken 7 has to offer. With so much additional content, these titles would benefit from an Ultimate editions that could bring all of the content into one package, finally allowing for players to have every feature on-disc without breaking the bank.
One smart tactic that Bandai Namco could implement in Tekken 7 and Soulcalibur 6 that could help the next-gen versions of the games sell is the inclusion of new content. Though all of the content present in MK 11 Ultimate isn’t exclusive, Warner Bros. was smart enough to release the upgrade alongside Kombat Pass 2, marketing the port with brand-new characters that allowed it to stand out. Other companies have done this in the past as well, with other next-gen ports like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe doing the same thing by adding in new characters and a revamped Battle Mode for the Nintendo Switch version.
Soulcalibur 6 has been appeasing old fans by bringing back some fan-favorites to the title as part of DLC including Cassandra, Seksuke, and most recently Hwang, but if it were to resurrect more old characters and release them day-one on a next-gen port, it surely would get more fans on board. Characters like Yun-seong who have been long-absent could finally return, and could appease long-time fans. Tekken 7 could similarly do the same thing by having additional characters to the next-gen version, with tons of potential characters that they could bring back.
These are just a few things that Soulcalibur 6 and Tekken 7 could learn from Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, and should implement if they were to also get “Ultimate” editions.
Mortal Kombat 11 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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